The Right Path
by HyruSlayer
Summary: If Keitaro was forced to lose his memory...What will happen to him? The Hinata residents? What will he do? Which girl will he fall for?
1. What kind of promise is that?

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina or any part of its distribution network. But I do like to write stories about "Stuff" I am infatuated with, and Love Hina is one of them. P.S. I write this story for your enjoyment, please read and review. Tell me what can be improved, flames will be use to make Su-chan's special curry.  
  
Choose the Right One:  
  
Chapter 1: What Kind of Promise Was That?  
  
A boy is playing with a brown haired girl in a sand box. Gradually yellow sand is piled together into a miniature castle. The win worn it's edges away as it took shaped between the constant molding hands of the two children. "Do you know that people say." The girl sneaks closer to the boy.  
  
Absorbed in his creation the boy only gave the girl a passing glance, but beneath he began to blush as his friend leans closer. The girl giggles at his shyness. "That if two people get into Tokyo University together, they will live happily ever after."  
  
The boy's head shot up. "Really?" They looked at one and other cheeks aflame, unsure how to react from that point.  
  
The girl lowers her eyes briefly then sum up her courage. She leans toward the boy, looking straight into his eyes. "When we grow up let's go to Tokyo University together, ok?"  
  
"Okay." The boy's face lights up. "Then we will be together forever!" Spring blossom drifts down on cotton soft breezes as the girl gave the surprised boy a feather light kiss. Self-conscious of her show of affection the girl quickly ran off the sand box to as the boy sat in daze from his first kiss.  
  
No one saw that the sand box was enveloped momentary by a pillar of darkness. No one except the girl notice that Keitaro have suddenly vanished.  
  
The warm glow of spring suddenly vanishes as the boy's world plunged into darkness. "What happened? Nachan? Muchan? Mochan? Where is everybody?"  
  
"Fu fu fu fu." The 5-year-old Keitaro whirls to face the source of laughter.  
  
"Are you guys played a joke on me again? Quit it, or I will tell Granny! It's not funny, and I am not joking around. Now-now show yourself!" He took a step back in the dark space.  
  
His heel catches and sends him careening onto the dank bedrock. From the darkness light burst forth, as if and angel had descended. Witnessing in wonder the boy asked breathlessly. "Are you an angel?" He shields his eyes to see the face of a beautiful swordswoman appear. "Can you help me please?!" Tears stream down his face as the beautiful women stride forward toward him. Her head nock to one side as she was considering his plea. Then with one graceful motion she unsheathes her sword. Her face became a hideous mask of horns and metal.  
  
"You can't fool me demon! Now taste the steel of my divine wrath!" Darkness flood out off the eyes of the mask, as the boy turn and ran. "You can run devil! But you can't hide me. I already know your name; I will catch you one day. I will get you, I will get you, Keitaro!"  
  
Tsuruko retrace the path of the missing child for the fifth time, since Naru came bowling into her guest room screaming that Keitaro went missing from the grounds. "It seems someone used a form banishment and targeted Keitaro by accident." Haruka gave her a blank look. "It's fine for you to know, but I don't think anyone else here have a clue about what you are talking about." Other parents and kids look at Tsuruko expectantly. "Oh my!" Tsuruko felt her cheeks burning. "A form banishment is a high level spell that targets the host of evil and banishes it to the spirit world. Usually it is used only in worst-case scenerios. Very few people know how to use it."  
  
Haruka sneaks out a pack of cigarettes. "In another word, a person who know about this spell just send Keitaro to hell?"  
  
"Um...Hell? I wouldn't call it hell? The spirit world can be a wonderful place to visit, once in a while." Tsuruko looks away.  
  
"Kami-sama! My baby is in hell?! Noooooooo!" An ear splitting screech sends Tsuruko's ears ringing.  
  
"Calm down Mrs Urashima!"  
  
"It's Mr Urashima!" Haruka deadpans as she points at her hysterical brother, who is currently sobbing away in his wife's arms. "No wonder he quits kempo after two days.  
  
"Fu fu fu fu!" The muffled laughter fades away. The boy turned to face, a liddo-kun statue holding up a sign. On it shadowy surface wrote, "Fear me." Keitaro screamed, moments later he opens his eyes and looked again. The sign saids; "Do not Fear me, I am just a toilet."  
  
"A ha-ha-ha-ha!" Keitaro ROFL.  
  
"What's so funny?" The pissed off Statue launched itself at Keitaro.  
  
Keitaro jumps away so the statue smash into the ground. "You talk!"  
  
The statue threatens to fall over, but managed to stay upright. "Yea. I can talk." The statue cracks open and a shapeless lump came rolling out. Keitaro squints to see it rolling around, cursing all gods and devils as it tries to get out of what appears to be a black sack. Finally the thing gave up on getting out; instead it yell; "Hey You! Figure this thing off for me!"  
  
Keitaro blushed and rubs his head self-consciously. "Umm. I am not very good in untying things. Hee hee!"  
  
The statue crashes into the rock bottom with a resounding clang. A spider web of cracks appears where its nose chisels into rock. "Ugh! I wouldn't care if you can untie the Gordian Knot! I just need your extra pair of hands."  
  
"Okay." The Keitaro skips next to the little bump of darkness. He tentatively reached out and touch, a leathery surface, then shrank back. "What's that?"  
  
"Dragon Skin Wallet." The lump twitches.  
  
"Really? Never seen one before." Keitaro examines the little wallet.  
  
"Hey this thing is quality stuff kid. All hand made by some of the most skilled craft...persons in existence. Some ladies would sell their flesh and blood for one of these thing."  
  
"Yea! Mom would love one of these. She always..." As if drawn by the dark glow of the artifact Keitaro reached out and touched the non-descriptive wallet.  
  
The pouch rose slightly. "Tell you what kid."  
  
"My name is Keitaro." Keitaro drew back selfconsciously.  
  
"Whatever you name is. If you get me out of this lovely wallet you can have it." Keitaro look at the pouch skeptically. "I don't know..."  
  
"It will provide you eternal supply of gold, and it have life-time guarantee to bring luck to anyone who picks it up." The wallet bulges frantically.  
  
"Errr..."  
  
"Plzzzzzz! I have lived in this old wallet for 80 thousand years! I wants to see my kids so bad, that I will give you the world if you would let me out. Come on! Just open it, open it, open it!"  
  
"Wow! That's so sad Mr."  
  
"So you will release me?"  
  
"Yup! I just thought that it wouldn't be nice to take stuff from strangers; even though I free him from an eighty thousand year imprisonment in a wallet that mom would sell me to have. " Keitaro laughs as tries ply open the wallet.  
  
"You got a real sense of humor kid." The wallet growled. "Maybe you should press that triangle thing."  
  
Keitaro reach down and press a small triangle on the dark scaled leather. The wallet disappears from his hand. "Huh?!"  
  
"Wahahahahaha! I am free! Free from the god cursed wallet that imprisoned me." The darkness rang with tolls of great bells.  
  
Keitaro looks at the source of the sound, blinks. "Hey! You are just a kid like me!"  
  
A white haired boy with horns stare down Keitaro's accusing finger. "So what?"  
  
"But kids can't have kids." Keitaro waves his arms wildly.  
  
"Oh my! You are a genius!" An Einstein wig appears over Keitaro's face. "I must admit you are the funniest guy I have met in eight hundred centuries." The devil laughed. "An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth."  
  
With a nerve racking effort Keitaro gasps as he tries the wrestle the suffocating wig off his face. "I am the only guy you met in eight hundred centuries."  
  
Devil boy strokes his chin. "True enough." The wig disappears off of Keitaro's blue face. "You are not as dumb as I thought."  
  
"Air...Air is good..." Keitaro gasps as a small object flew into his mouth.  
  
"Here's your reward. Chock on it. By the way my name is Cain, people call me your worshipfulness of all creation, but since you help fix my little problem you can just call me your majesty, or master if you prefer. Though I would probably stick to tradi...." Cain turns to see Keitaro chocking on the wallet. "Hey! That is not for eating! You could buy the world with that wallet." He quickly did a twirling motion with his hand and the slimy wallet appears in his hand. "Urgh! You shouldn't take my words so literally! Now I have drool all over this damn wallet." He moves to dry off the wallet on his sleeve when he suddenly gave a loud cry and threw it onto Keitaro's unconscious body. "It's yours now! Take care of it yourself." He gave it a look of utter longing, then turn and fade into the shadows. "Should have traded for something else."  
  
Keitaro waked up to stare at the broken statue. "Where did he go?" He felt a lump on his chest, and picked it off his chest. "It looks silly, all these shiny colors." The dull dragon skin shone with an iridescent glow that seeps into Keitaro's eyes.  
  
"You!" Keitaro turns around to see the broken statue returns to life.  
  
"Aaaa!" Keitaro knocks a hole in the already cracked pottery. "Sorry!"  
  
"Would you cut that out!" The statue slowly reforms. It drew some substance from the floor into itself. "Have you seen Cain?"  
  
"Yes." Keitaro felt his heart going haywire in his chest.  
  
Liddo-kun grimiced. "Bastard, I told him not to come out till I told him it's safe."  
  
Keitaro asks. "Safe for what?"  
  
"You don't want to know." The statue replies.  
  
"Would it be that weird girl in light?"  
  
"Who? What?" The statue looks at keitaro with it's hollow eyes. "You got to give me more detail boy. I can't just know what you are thinking...well I can but it's too much trouble."  
  
"It's the girl that suddenly changes to a scary demon with a..." Keitaro stutters.  
  
"Katana in her hand?"  
  
It sees Keitaro's wide eye stare. "I need a drink!"  
  
"But you are a statue, and a toilet. So by saying that you need a drink."  
  
"Don't even go there!"  
  
"But I need to go too!"  
  
The floor under the statue just collapsed. "That's the kind of crap I need." Liddo-kun said dryly.  
  
Keitaro leans over the fallen statue. "Do you want a hand?"  
  
"No, I think I am safer like this!" The once solid bedrock gave way under the earthen liddokun. Keitaro rushes to the rim to see the fate of the weird statue. A short pause late a groan was heard.  
  
"Damn! That hurts!" Then a cloud of black mist began to billow forth from the depth of the pit. "That's the last time I possess a bloody statue!" The cloud forms into the rough shape of a giant liddoku, complete with the tutu. "And now I must find a new host!" He looked at the wide-eyed boy in front of him. "Hmmm! It will have to do! Hmm?" An insistent poking on his immaterial body woke him from his fertile musing. "What do you want boy?"  
  
"Um. I don't understand." Keitaro said innocently. "You got a body? Why...?" The black cloud collapse on Keitaro and explodes. The demon fell back and saw Keitaro stumbling with huge swirly eyes.  
  
"Look boy, a demon can't just waltz up and down a street like a common pimp. If he does that he will get mobbed, staked through the heart, banished by white hippies, and suffer innumerable asshole exorcists after his damned hide. So too avoid all those unpleasantness I would hitch a ride on you, until I find Cain. After that we go our separate ways."  
  
"Ohh? I am so dizzy..." Keitaro's eyes widen as the black cloud collapse and bounce off of him. "What's going on?" faints  
  
^Darn it, he is too innocent. If only I have some leverage to work on.^ The demon reached down and slaps Keitaro.  
  
"Mom! I wanna a nap." Keitaro opens his eyes to see a row of razor sharp teeth. "Whoa! What big teeth, you have!" 0_0  
  
"Better to eat you with my dearest." The demon snaps his teeth  
  
"..." The boy just looks at him.  
  
"Um this is the part where you are suppose to run around in panic while I slowly take control of your entire body."  
  
"...do I have to?" Keitaro whimpers as his eyes began to water from the sulfuric demon breath.  
  
"Let me explain it to you." The demon said smoothly. "YES!!"  
  
Keitaro pouts. "I don't wanna! No! No! No! No!"  
  
"Oh shit! Don't crie...Oh damn you Cain, why do you have to leave me with a freaking cry baby!"  
  
Tsuruko looked at the trace of spell form. "That is impressive, very impressive."  
  
"Really, big sister?" Motoko fidgets as her sister looked over the half dissolved markings in the sand.  
  
"You make this didn't you?" Motoko felt the frozen words impales her heart, and awaits her dreaded fate. "You will be punished." Motoko Zombifies.  
  
Tsuruko goes on. "This is a very strange exorcism spell you made Mochan. I see that you command the spell to target the person with 'The taste of hell, shall scourge him for his transgressions'?"  
  
"I was thinking about a spell that would exorcise demons as soon as they come into existence. Since demons are from hell, it should get them as soon as they possess some one." Motoko stutters.  
  
"You were showing off weren't you?" Tsuruko said slowly. Her slim fingers retrace the form of the banishment spell.  
  
A massive thunder struck Motoko. Smoking, she replies. "Just a harmless..."  
  
"Your spell sent Keikun into a place of great danger, Motoko." Tsuruko said with an edge in her voice. "And I can't find the access that you used!"  
  
A minute later, after many teeth gnashing efforts and undying patience from the demonic liddo-kun Keitaro stops crying; "That's what boys and girls do when they are dating? Ewww!"  
  
"That was not the reaction I was looking for." The demon grits it teeth. "You don't look so good... want a hug?"  
  
"NOOOOOOO!" The specter released a sulfuric blast that flattens the boy. "Arrgh! I give up! I will just wait till you hit puberty first."  
  
"Ok." Keitaro whispers as he tries to shake the stars out of his head. . "But I will probably be in Tokyo University with my best friend in the world. By then I probably be too busy to visit a old demon like you" The crimson eyes narrows as the boy pokes him on the belly. "And what kind of sappy promise would that be." "Sappy?!" Keitaro scrunches up his face. "Noo?! My promise is not sappy, its sweet." "That is hair spitting for me." The demon's harsh laugher echoed in the dark void. "Let me guess, You and her, together forever, is that right?" "Yea! That is what we promised on, so that is what is going to happen." Keitaro stood up, his cheeks flushed. "Fool! What kind of promise is that? What kind of idiot would believe that it would work out the way it is in a 'promise'. You been had kid." The demon looms over Keitaro. "She will leave you behind, like a tree leaves behind its dying blossoms in the autumn. You'll live in a fool's paradise, thinking you are loved, but reality will come and bit you in the rear soon enough. She will leave the next morning." "Noooo! We promised." Keitaro glared at the demon towering above him. "I don't believe you! You say bad things! I don't like you anymore." The demon grinned. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." The darkness crushes Keitaro into the ground. "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Tears squeezed out of Keitaro's eyes as he he loses consciousness. At last the shadow vanished completely into Keitaro's slight form. The demon opens his host's eyes.  
  
^I got to hurry, I don't know what is after this kid but it can't be too bad.^  
  
"A Fury! You include a summoned Fury in the spell?" Tsuruko's vice like grip tightens on Motoko's shoulder. "Sis that hurt!" Motoko cries but her frantic sister drags her to the redrawn spell form. "Never mind that. Tell me the access now, or Keitaro is done for!" 


	2. Here comes Fury

Keitaro's arms and legs swing wildly as he stumbles though the dark regions of the spirit world. His soul sleeps.  
  
"Damn I am way out of shape." The demon sighs as his new body went tumbling once again of the unforgiving ground. "Shit! Cain! You come back here you bastard!" Lying on the cold bedrock, the demon let the child's body recover from its recent scraps. He glimpses a light approaching from his left. "That weird, I haven't seen beings of light this far down before..." His eyes widen, as the spot of light became a burning ball of divine magic.  
  
"I see you!!!" The fury smirked as she watched the fireball smash home. Hopping effortlessly down from faded outcrops the being of wraith's eyes narrowed as she sees a woman appearing from the smoky aftermath. "Why do you interfere with my work?"  
  
"It's the duty of all Shimeryu to save those in need." The woman replied. Then they both lock their blades in one swift clash. "That was kind of obvious."  
  
Looking down the Fury spotted her prey cowering behind the sword woman. "You are in my way. Move, or die."  
  
"I am taking Keikun home, spirit of rightful vengeance." Tsuruko replies calmly. She holds her sword close, while she draws her kunai. "You shouldn't have targeted a innocent. It was a mistake from my sister that summons you to this task. I now release you from your duty." With one hand she dart the spirit's sword arm. Taking advantage of its momentary distraction the Kendo adept withdrew. Sweat bead on her pure white forehead as she grimace from the after shock from the titanic impact.  
  
"I can't let the boy go." The fury glares at the shivering boy. It charges up its blade until it glows with a faint but eerie blue. "I can't suffer evil to live!"  
  
"Why?" Tsuruko moves into fighting stance, only to be knock of balance by the fury's double hand bash. "Keitaro have done nothing to deserve your wrath."  
  
"I live to slay evil, and in that boy evil lives. I must kill him, I must!"  
  
"What!" Tsuruko riposte the Fury's blade and sends her flying back with a boulder splitting strike. "Keitaro is innocent, and all innocents deserve life!" She counter attacks with a vacuum pulse and slice the fury in two. "Your will to do justice is tainted by hate."  
  
"I am will not be blind by your words so easily, my duty is to give death the evil that now have take possession of the boy. I will be banish the demon to the outer darkness, and I will not desist till it is done." A large number of arms appeared on the fury's body as it regenerates its body parts. "I can crush you with barely an effort, woman of the sword, but for your part in the crusade against the unholy you have been spared so far. Now be gone, and let me destroy that demon!" Advancing slowly the fury parries Tsuruko's attacks like it was child's play.  
  
Forced back gradually Tsuruko yells. "Keitaro run!" Fury took her brief distraction and lung in. Tsuruko barely block the critical hit, but still took a bone crushing palm strike to her gut. Fortunately her body was trained to take similar impacts, so she was still able to decapitate her smirking foe. Her victory was temporary. As she retreats the spirit regenerates, all the while looking from its detached head straight into Keitaro.  
  
Shortly the two combatants once more face each other.  
  
"Why should I?" Keitaro's deject voice grinds the atmosphere. The Fury looks unresponsive and renew her siege to Tsuruko's shrinking defensive circle. "The scary lady said that I should die, then I will die, it didn't matter its now or a few year down the line. Every thing would just turn out the same. Naru-chan, Mochan, and Muchan would go their separate ways. Leaving me all alone in the world, no one would care that I am gone. Every one would just forgets me eventually."  
  
Tsuruko felt desperation well up from within. "Keitaro, no! Run! I will keep her away form you." She bash the fury with twelve thunder blade and launch it away on a tornado, then snatch up Keitaro. "Keitaro!" Tsuruko wraps her arm around Keitaro's limp body. "What is wrong! Why aren't you running away?" She shook the boy but Keitaro just stares back at her with lightless eyes, repeating a mantra.  
  
A fiery hand clasps around Tsuruko's shoulder. "His grip on his soul is slipping. The demon's possession shall soon consume all his sanity and turn him into its creature. It would be merciful if you let me kill him right now. Tsuruko broke away from the spirit abruptly, cradling Keitaro in her arms.  
  
Narrowing her eyes Tsuruko challenges the fury. "Its not the way of the righteous to kill innocents. Can't you see that your way is simple murder?"  
  
The fury snarls at the swordswoman. "My summoning had been invoked, I not free as you would have me, and my justice is not a thing that I throw away for the softness of the human heart. You must give him to me now!"  
  
*Way to go Motoko!* Tsuruko grinned. "I guess we have a standoff, because I am not about to let go of him."  
  
Back at Hinata Inn  
  
Motoko's hands shook as she finish redrawing the spell she evoked. "I hope this will do. Big sister, please come back soon." "Mochan?" Naru's head pokes into Motoko's room. Motoko leaps up into the air, tips over the saucer of ink she used to draw the spell. "Is..." "No!" Motoko watched helplessly as the black droplets keeps falling, down toward her newly revised spell. "The spell!"  
  
In the spirit realm  
  
The fury gasps sharply. It's light brightens, and dims abruptly.  
  
Tsuruko's blade flickers into view in the lightless dark. With one hand held onto Keitaro, she began to retreat from the fury.  
  
"There need for alarm." The fury turns toward Tsuruko. "But rather wasting it on me, I think there are more pressing matters." It glares down on Keitaro. "Though I am unable to destroy the demon personally, I would advise you to destroy the demon host immediately."  
  
"You must be mad to try convincing me to kill an innocent..."  
  
Light from the fury's eyes transfixes Tsuruko. "Ignorant human! You think I would glory in the destruction of the unfortunate child. Look into the aura of the child and you will see your emotion's misguidance. The demon is growing stronger as we speak!"  
  
Reluctantly Tsuruko focus her senses on Keitaro. "I..." She saw deep into Keitaro's battered form, beyond the bruise on his skin, beyond the mind numbing mantra that echo in the surface of his mind, into the depth of the boy's soul, where she saw Keitaro's spirit flickering in the clutch of a dark hurricane. A cage make of green fire appears over the fury as it charges in for the kill. An unearthly scream rang in the abyss as the spirit of light felt the burning on its soul.  
  
"I see my jig is up." Keitaro smiled calmly. "You have protect me well, beautiful one, would you like to serve me forever." A spherical shield forms, separating Keitaro from his surroundings, but he offers his hands still toward the battered swords woman. "I had always wanted an older sister." Shadows crawled out from cracks of rock and reaches toward the three.  
  
Tsuruko's aura blast away the surrounding shadows "Demon, I will give you one chance to leave Keitaro of your own will." Tsuruko's chilly voice lashes out with the force of her ki. "Or I will ensure whatever hell that spirit gives to you when she is done, I will multiply a thousand times."  
  
"God is not cruel. That is why he made humans into resilient creatures with his lavish gifts of strength and intelligence. However for this boy, his strength failed, and whatever intelligence he possesses will not be a match for the cunning of an ancient demon." A boyish grin appeared on Keitaro's pale face. "Would you wish that he suffered the hell you offered me? I assure you he will live along time, under your tender mercies. His pain and anguish shall feed me like the grand feasts of apostasy before the flood." Seeing Tsuruko's rosebud lips trembling he smiled. "Or would you prefer a bargain, after all I am a generous provider of many things, and is always willing to give..."  
  
With a snap of her wrist Tsuruko launches a tornado blast that shatters the demonic shield and sends the boy wheeling into the ground. "Not yet! There is still hope." Her word rolls out heavily on her tongue. "I will exorcise you, demon." She then growls to the confused fury. "And you can have it's blacken soul, but Kei-kun is coming home with me!" She sets the dazed boy against a large boulder. "Don't worry this won't hurt one bit." Whispers comforting words Tsuruko drew back from the boy. She turns and growls at the bemused fury. "I would stand back if I were you."  
  
"Foolish girl! I am an immortal. Whatever you do will have very little effect on me." Nevertheless the demon attempts to shrank into the block of granite, along with Keitaro's body.  
  
"We will see!" Tsuruko turns toward Keitaro. "Now Evil Cutting Sword!" A burst of energy pulverized the boulder on which Tsuruko placed the boy. "That should do it."  
  
The fury walks into the cloud of dust and out immediately. It sticks its tongue into its cheek. "A lot of good that did. All you did was blowing up that cursed rock!" It then points the sprinting form of Keitaro. "I don't think the demon in that kid will sit idly by while you blast it out of it's new home." Tsuruko face-faults. "Why didn't you tell me!"  
  
"Not my faults you can't hit a moving target." The fury replies. "Personally I am surprise that you learned such a difficult...Hey where are you going!"  
  
"I got to catch Keitaro you dumb ass." Tsuruko yelled back as she chase after the runner, and yelped when she saw the Fury popped out right in her path.  
  
"You human geniuses need to hear things out a bit more. Don't you know that spirits are not constrained by the laws of matters?"  
  
Steam rush out of Tsuruko's head. "Quit blabbing, and catch him you overgrown light bulb!"  
  
The fury grins. "Your wish is my command." It vanishes.  
  
"Oh shit!" Tsuruko's eyes bulged out of her skulls. "Don't hurt him!"  
  
"Too late can't hear you." The whispering sound was barely audible in Tsuruko's ears as she rushes after Keitaro. "Demon! Taste the divine wrath of the righteous. And you girl, just watch and learn."  
  
Tsuruko sweat dropped. "If you can't hear me then why are you still answering me?"  
  
"Ummm...rats...this is a figure of your imagination?"  
  
The spirit realm shook with the combine impact of Keitaro, Tsuruko, and any unfortunate demons within hearing range.  
  
*Thou shall not bear false witness!* A lightning bolt struck the fury, then on the side note clips Keitaro on the head. Now give the boy to her.  
  
"Yesss bosss!" The smoking avatar of righteous anger grabs the freshly knocked out Keitaro and teleports back before a grimacing Tsuruko. "Hereeessss your little friend." With a long wheeze it falls on the ground twitching. "Argh! Whoever summoned me is going to have a lot of explaining to do."  
  
Tsuruko wedges Keitaro between two large boulders, just then he wakes. "Where am I?"  
  
"Don't worry Keitaro this won't hurt a bit." Tsuruko brandish her sword. "Evil..." "Wha..." Keitaro's eyes widen as the gleaming blade leveled to his face. "...Cutting..." The boulder began to shook violently. "...Sword!"  
  
Keitaro's world went white.  
  
The cloud of dust clears to reveal Keitaro's bloody form half buried in the rubbles. "Wow! That's a piece of work." The recharged fury examines the injuries, as Tsuruko gave frantic effort to revive Keitaro. "The Spanish Inquision look like a first rate spa, comparing to this piece of work." It pats Tsuruko on the back. "You would make a fine fury someday, you seem to have a natural talent for metering the punishment to the unholy."  
  
Tsuruko wraps one of her hand around the fury's neck and drew its face down. Between her clench teeth hissed; "In God's name shut you trap!"  
  
Shrugging the fury went down beside the unconscious boy. "He will live..."  
  
Tsuruko gave a sigh of relieve.  
  
"But what you did was not enough." Heaving her sword, the fury readies its sword for one final swing. "One more hit should do it." A hammer came down on top of the fury's head. A crater forms where it kissed the ground. "We're not trying to kill him you dumb ass." Tsuruko shoulders her hammer.  
  
"Ouch! I am not bloodthirsty! You attack unhinged the demon's hold on the boy, but it's just knocked out, not gone." Wordless Tsuruko unsheathes her sword once more. The fury scrambled away just in time to see Keitaro enveloped in a spectacular blast of Ki. "Watch it!"  
  
"Check again." Tsuruko said blandly.  
  
"Hey! Clean up after your own mess." But a glare from Tsuruko later; "Why in the hell am I taking orders from this freaky woman." The fury stared at Keitaro's unconscious form. "Funny I thought the brat would have been flattened by that brutish technique." It focuses its Ki and probed. Inside of Keitaro's body, the fury scans for signs of evil, and saw nothing. "Funny?" It went deeper. "Yo does this attack of yours clear out your target's mind?"  
  
"No. But it by extracting the demon it generally knocks the host into a state of deep sleep." Leaning on her sword Tsuruko scans the darkness.  
  
"Oh!" The fury pushed deeper and felt something give away. A door opens and the fury was before the demon. "I see you." Drawing out its weapon the fury charged and gave the fallen spirit a swift decapitation. "And you die."  
  
"I am sorry to say that isn't possible." The demon's head spoke. "What the?!" The fury bisects the head. "Hey! Stop that." The demon looks the fury in the eye.  
  
"Why won't you die?" Furious the spirit of light continue to hit the demon until a twitching mass of shadow with a pair of eyes was all that was left.  
  
Staring at the flustered fury the demon replied. "Damn if I had known girls in heaven is such a looker I would have repented long time ago. And check out that skirt, I could look right un..."  
  
"Die you degenerate beast!" The red face fury kicks the demon head.  
  
The demon's body regenerates its lost head and said in a weary voice. "Damn it! I can't be banished, you dumb chick! This is as far as you can go."  
  
The fury points at the immobile demon. "Then why are you still in the brat's body."  
  
"Think about this." The demon suggests. "You are back against a wall with a firing squad in front of you. Are you going to die?"  
  
"Uh! Yea?"  
  
"And what if there is a crack behind you? A place where the bullets can no longer reach your vital areas."  
  
"Ahahaha..." The fury for some reason blushed furiously and began to back away fro the demon. "I will go now."  
  
"Yea about time. Owwwwwwwwww!" The demon dematerialized. "That was the second most painful experience in my life. But damn that was worth it." The dark corridors of Keitaro's mind began to lighten as consciousness returns. "Guess Cain will have to be on his own for a little while."  
  
"Owies!" Keitaro winced. He gets up gingerly. "Hey! My healing skill is first rate." A familiar voice enters Keitaro's ears. He sat up abruptly. "He is awake!" Two beautiful girls sat by his side, one he recognize as Motoko's sister, the other in nurse's uniform looks familiar.  
  
The one dressed in nurse's uniform smiles benevolently down on Keitaro. "How's it going kiddo!" Keitaro remembered.  
  
He screamed.  
  
"I thought I was going to have a heart attack!" The fury gasps. "That's physically impossible for you." /* But its a near death experience for me */ Tsuruko hugs the shivering Keitaro close. "I know." Both girls' hair sticks out in all directions like the spikes. The fury continues. "You sure have a great pair of lungs kiddo." The fury commented. Keitaro shrank away form her tentative hand. "Not really. This is the first time he is usually very soft spoken." Tsuruko pats Keitaro on the back gently. "Then may be he is saving up for later." Moving closer the fury clasp her hand on top of Tsuruko's. "Hey!" Tsuruko turns red. I am not a lesbian. "Don't worry I am perfectly straight too." "Then why..." "You want to get home?" "Of course." "Then just hang on to my hand." The fury pulls Tsuruko up and began to walk. "Wha... can't you just teleport us back." "Can't do that. This place is not that easy to get out of. We need to walk in order to get you two home." As they walk the monotonous veil of darkness began to warp around them as if it is drawn by the presence of life. "And I can tell you this, the path of spirits is hard for dead, but for the living..." A sharp grin appears on the fury's face. "Just say it." Tsuruko's voice sends shocks down Keitaro's spine. "It can be worst than hell."  
  
Naru and Motoko both were splattered with black spots as the quickly put the intact spell form out to dry.  
  
"That was close." Motoko smiles to Naru, a tremor shook her voice. "I wouldn't know what to do if that ink splattered..."  
  
Naru suddenly stares Motoko straight in the eye with a very determined expression on her face. "Was that the spell that send Kei-kun to wherever he is?" The wind picks up in the room as Motoko did a double take.  
  
"I don't know what you are talking about." Motoko replied timidly.  
  
Naru took a deep breath and said evenly. "Don't lie mo-chan, or you won't be my friend anymore." She then keeps staring at Motoko with her pair of big watery eyes.  
  
Motoko keels over. "Na-chan! It's my entire fault! I was just trying to do something to help my sister in hunting demons and when I thought I could use spellcraft... and..." Her voice fades as Naru covers her face with her hand. "Na-chan...I ...am... sorry I promise I will get him back! I really really promise." She plies away Naru's hand to see her friend smiling despite her tearstains.  
  
Naru's fingers pinch Motoko's flushed cheek. "You promise? Mochan?"  
  
"Yes." And so Motoko went hook, line and sinker. Naru gave her a hug to ease the humiliation.  
  
In the realm down under  
  
Our threesome shivers. "What was that?" Keitaro asked. "A premonition of doom." The fury and Tsuruko answered simultaneously.  
  
Afterwards:  
  
After being sent to hell (literally) by the spell of a three year old, the fury, the genius, and the soon to be punching bag must take the spirit path to get back to the mortal plane. There will be laughs and cries of -------- ? ( A giant fan hit's the author on the head) "Okay I won't go there, Tsuruko, but it will be an interesting ride for you three." Mean while back in the Hinata inn, Motoko and Naru are cooking up their recipy to rescue their love ones, but will they succeed or damn the three to eternality of -------? (Dodge a flying hammer.) "Hey fury's don't get access to hammer space! It would be too cheap, and no you can't borrow Tsuruko's." Anyways, the only way to find out is to read more and review! Flames will be recycled for later distribution. 


	3. Boot Camp

Disclaimer: I do not own.Love Hina. That is the fact, so if you don't like my fan fiction, I wouldn't care since no money is involved. Flames are illusions of superiority, and will be put out like Motoko's pride in front of Tama-chan. Also if you don't write don't flame.  
  
Chapter 2: The Teaching of Keitaro  
  
Master Han lets a long bead of sweat run its path down his face as he and Keitaro ran for their lives. Behind him the cause and the result of his troubles followed close behind. "There is that perverted thief, get him!" The high pitch voice of a woman spikes into the two male's ears like warning bells before a dam breach.  
  
"I am so sorry." Keitaro shouted despite the mass of bruises inflicted on his face. Flash: The master and the student enter the town to get some food. When they're approaching a vendor, the two children of the vendor decided to have some fun and trips Keitaro when he walks up to the pretty young woman managing the stall. Arms flailing the teen grabs for support. Fortunately for him, his hand latches onto something that prevents him from crashing into the goods. "Aaagh!" Unfortunately for him, this support was the young Mrs' breast. Soon the young woman was beating him on the head with whatever she could get her hands on. Then the husband, the brothers, the sisters, the uncles, the parents, and the grand parents all came out to see what is the commotion about. Needless to say the beat the living day lights out of Keitaro as they chase him out of town. On his way out he was knocked into young girls, old women, and even one cross dressing burglar, who was pissed that his cover is blown.  
  
The blazing cross dresser was still wearing his female attire but he is the closest to Keitaro, therefore he had the most opportunity to exact his vengeance. "You imbecilic, clumsy, dog do you know how much time I spend to get that dress right!" Every one sweat dropped. Been whipped several times by the leather purse Keitaro's speed increased dramatically. Shocks of pain ran down his spine, and drove his legs till he was abreast with Master Han.  
  
"You have great potential Keitaro." Master Han arch his thick eyebrows at Keitaro as he picks up the pace. "It isn't easy for some one with out training to run this fast."  
  
"It isn't so hard Master." Keitaro pumps his legs as hard as he can, as he gasps out his words. "All you need is a pair of legs and the promise of hellish pain behind you." Suddenly he realizes that he was running on empty, trips and went flying. Like a ghost Master Han was there by his side, holding him up. "Master, don't worry about me. Just go ahead, and I will catch up with you at the abandoned monastery. I need a little rest that's all."  
  
Master Han looks at him as if he grown bunny ears. "Keitaro, you do realize the mob is a long way behind."  
  
"What? Cool! We lost them." Keitaro's knees shook violently as he regain his footing.  
  
"Well.Not yet." A large cloud of dust rose from the direction they came from.  
  
"By the Great Buddha! They are still after us!" Instantly Master Han yanks the frozen teen off his feet and takes off.  
  
"Haaa haaaa haaa. How could they be so fast master?" Slowly climb up to the branch where his master stands watch. "You said that normal people don't run this fast without training, but that mob was right on our back for hours."  
  
"Those people were mostly descendents of Shaolin disciples." Master Han replies without emotion as he peer into the growing darkness.  
  
Keitaro's eyes balloon out at the given revelation. "But monks can't marry! How can they have kids!" Quickly his mind went into sewer mode.  
  
Looking at his student's expression Master Han recognize that Keitaro's unsavory thoughts. "It isn't like that you perverted fool!" With one foot he kicked Keitaro behind his thick skull.  
  
"Ooo!" The teen loses his grip on the tree. "Ouch!" His back clashes through a massive branch. "Dang! Oro!" Thump! Keitaro smashes into the ground clutching his childhood treasure. Frantically he tries to remove the branch wedge between his legs with out causing further damage.  
  
Master Han drops down beside the stricken teen and gently pull him up from the ground. "Are you alright?"  
  
"I'll live." Keitaro said in a squeaky voice.  
  
Slowly the old man moves Keitaro to a place where they could sit down. "The Shaolin Temple's doctrine of having only monk disciples wasn't always firm. There are times went the masters took in uninitiated disciples to ensure the survival of Shaolin Martial Arts."  
  
"Does that mean I don't have to be a monk?" Keitaro's voice went up even more.  
  
"Fat chance!" Master Han said blankly.  
  
"Awww!"  
  
"Just kidding. You can keep your hairs." Master Han ruffles the youth's black mop like mane. "But I would suggest you cut it short so it won't get in your way."  
  
"Thank you master!" Slowly but surely Keitaro collapsed. Calmly Master Han check the boy's vital signs to make sure he is still alive.  
  
"Surely the boy must be immortal, surviving such extreme blow." He shrug and went on to find his own place to pass the night.  
  
The Next Afternoon  
  
A majestic temple sat the end of a velvet green valley. Nested within the bosom of an enormous forest the ruins of the original Shaolin Monastery stood defiant against the mildew siege of time. "Now we begin your training in Shaolin Martial Arts. I know that you had trained in many different styles of martial arts before your arrival to the temple, yet never master even one of them for the most obvious reasons." Master Han faces a very banged up Keitaro. "You're clumsy!" An arrow pierces through Keitaro's head. "You're slipshod." A pebble the size of a golf ball bounces off Keitaro's head, which is follow by a shower of rocks. 'And most of all you have no self-confidence. Now that we pinpointed your problem do you have the confidence to tackle my master or death training regiment?!" Master Han turns and saw Keitaro under a giant piece of the mountain. "Maybe the training needs to be a little bit harder for you. After all you'll need it."  
  
"Yeesss master." Keitaro replies from under the vast rubble pile.  
  
A wile smile grace Master Han's face as he watch Keitaro completes his warm up and stretching on the mossy courtyard. "I see you have paid great attention to the preparation done by the other disciples." Keitaro blush as he went down to stretch out his inner thigh tendons. "That is good. Most of my students have now reached master level, so you will have a lot to catch up on. We wouldn't want my dying efforts to be wasted won't we." On hearing that the teen's legs gave out from under him as he stared at his master with shock. Tear began to well up from his tired brown eyes. Master Han arch up one eyebrow. "Take it easy! I won't be in Nirvana before I finish teaching you. Besides everyone have to die some day, and I have live a life I could be happy for."  
  
Keitaro recovers and return his master's grin. "Then I'll be a slow learner, just so you can expect a long life." A chunk of rock knocks him over.  
  
"Don't think you can slack off nitwit! Now we will practice falling."  
  
Confused Keitaro blink away the stars and asked. "Falling, Master?"  
  
Grinning Master Han motion Keitaro to follow him. "Yes. And it requires little effort to start.  
  
"MASTER!" Keitaro's eyes popped out of his head as he stares down the sheer cliff beneath his feet. "I am not ready to die!" Instantly he latch onto the nearest thing, his master.  
  
Master Han plies the wide eye boy from his robs. "Are you insane kid? You think I would throw you down there? Over the cliff?"  
  
"You won't?" Keitaro ask skeptically.  
  
"Of course. Your training course is over there." The Monk points to an obstacle course beside the cliff.  
  
"Oh Master I thought." Keitaro weep in relief.  
  
Master Han was already walking toward the course. "That cliff is for later." Instantly Keitaro froze.  
  
Later on Master Han sat on a generously offered branch overlooking the course as he watch Keitaro gets stumble and trip, clash and get bash while making way through the course for uncountable number of times. "This kid may not be your genius student but he sure doesn't give up. Most of my old students would be down for days if they go on like this. That's enough Keitaro!" At the command Keitaro flops down lifeless on top of the wooden ladder then slides off like a piece of cloth.  
  
"Urgh." Gasp the exhausted teen.  
  
The rice was cooking slowly on a black stove as Master Han faces Keitaro. "That was the worst run on the course I saw in ages! You should know your own limits boy! Been a martial artist, you would probably be killed a thousand times in one day, just from self inflicted injuries. Fortunately you can only die once, so you don't have to suffer long." Han sip some water to wash out the bad taste in his mouth.  
  
"Sorry Master." Keitaro said sheepishly.  
  
"Don't be sorry." The monk flat out replied.  
  
"What?"  
  
The old master looks into his newest pupil's eyes. "There is no sorry after you hurt yourself, or someone else. The responsibility will be solely yours." He looks to see if the rice was cooked. "We will spend ten days on basic forms of Shaolin Kung Fu. Starting tomorrow, you will be ready by sunrise and practice till the moon is in the apex of its arc. There will be no breaks except an hour for water and food. Remember, I will be watching to see if you are doing your best. Don't disappoint me." Keitaro sweat-dropped and nodded. "Good! Now lets eat."  
  
"Let me get it Master." Keitaro reach out to grab the pot of rice. There was a loud fizzle sound. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Hot! Hot! Hot!" Master Han rescues the rice, as Keitaro ran for water to save his flaming hands.  
  
"Note to self; Keitaro has coordination of a drunk elephant." The old man watch as Keitaro sticks his hand into a muddy pool of water. "Keitaro!"  
  
"Yes Master?" Steam rose from the pool.  
  
"Wash your hands before you eat."  
  
"Yes Master."  
  
Ten days later.  
  
"I miss judged you, Keitaro." Master circles around Keitaro as he gave the youth a good look over. Keitaro hang his head, waiting for the words. "You did well."  
  
"Huh?" That's all Keitaro was able to say before his Master knocks him on the back of his head.  
  
"Don't say Huh? Every time you hears something you don't understand." Clutching his head Keitaro rose as his master continues to circle around him. "You learn fast, but your clumsiness seem to grow even more." Keitaro fell back down. "Not only did you have all the blunders of the past but now your accidents are dangerous even to me!" The Grand Master of Shaolin Temple strokes his chin wistfully. "An intriguing development."  
  
With a sigh Keitaro lay on the ground as he prepares for his discharge. "I guess it just isn't meant to be." A shadow blocks him from the sun. "The promise still haunts me."  
  
"I am not giving up on you yet, idiot." Master Han hauls Keitaro onto his feet. "You are one of the best student I have meet in life. Of course, only when I am not considering your accident prone nature." A dull thud marks the time Keitaro's face fault.  
  
Keitaro picks himself up from his newest submission to gravity.  
  
"However, despite the pleasure of teaching you the martial traditions, I must leave you to your own devices for a while." The Master declares and began to leave.  
  
"Wait master! I still need your help!" Keitaro shouted.  
  
Already at the gate Master Han shouts back. "Keitaro, just practice what I taught you the past ten days, you got enough to last you a month."  
  
Looking around with uncertainty Keitaro relents. "Okay."  
  
Master Han closes the gate and locks it from the other side. After the door is secure he slides down to the ground. "That should give me time to recover." He glances up the massive steel door of the ancient monastery. "He has a knack for the art, but with the worst karma I have ever experienced. Often get into and cause disasters, but still go on, this kid could be great." His eyes slowly closed from the fatigue of days training Keitaro. "Can be great."  
  
Keitaro felt tired, each move was sluggish, and every decision was error in a way he couldn't anticipate. Gritting against the painful burn on his back, Keitaro struggle to concentrate as he stumbles across the courtyard. A stone step blocks his next step and he went down like a poled horse. "Must keep going." Callus palms grind against the weathered stone steps while Keitaro squeeze out the last of his strength getting to a semi- standing position. His body hung there for a moment before his legs cave in and splits his legs. "Oro! That hurts." He feels each of his muscle change to limp noodles, and a hard knock told him he has hit rock bottom. So there lay the newest disciple, Keitaro, suffering the worst blow to his manhood ever. "I suck!" Laugh Keitaro as rivers of tears and sweat stream down his face. "Even with Master Han I'll never be a decent Martial Artist, so might as well give up now." He canes his head up to look around the abandoned monastery. Before him, at the top of the steps was the chapel. "Well, this must be fate. It's never too late to pray." Finding himself unable to get up, he crawls his way up the moss-grown steps and into the ancient chamber. 


	4. You ain't living here!

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or any part of its multimillion-dollar distribution network, therefore this story is only written for the free enjoyment of fans. So don't sue me, x__x I am poor. P.S. Read and review cause if you don't I'll stumble around like Keitaro until I fall on some unfortunate person's 'private' stuff. Flames will be use to dry my clothing after I get out of the hot springs.  
  
Chapter 3; The Sealed Caves  
  
"Ah! The sacred shrine of Buddha, the only place I could find answer to my troubles. Now I must pray to receive his wise guidance." Searching through the vaulted place a thought suddenly hits Keitaro. ^May be the dreams that haunts me are but self-delusions which came from my want of companionship. After all, it has been years since I had meet a friend, or my family.^ He closed his eyes and looks deep inside himself. ^But if I imagine the whole thing up, then what is my purpose of being here.^ A flutter announces the shadow from his dreams. A hard knot forms in Keitaro's throat as he turns to face the fear that drove him from home.  
  
A beautiful girl in kendo uniform dropped down right before his face. Her straight silky black hair glide around the young Keitaro, becoming a part of the darkness as the white robe on her shone against the lack of light. Cherry lips broaden to show a carefree smile. "You must be Keikun! I had been looking all over for you." Smooth, soft stands of hair gently embrace the 5 yrs old Keikun.  
  
Keitaro was standing motionless. ^I am in love!^ A large percentage of blood rushes up to his face. "Um hi." Whispering Keitaro could feel his heart thump against his ribs. ^Is it because of fear or love?^ The scene abruptly changes, now Keitaro was bound on a stake covered with seals. The smell of incense was lightly treading in the air. "Anon? What am I doing here?" He felt a blindfold being put over his eyes. "What is going on?"  
  
"Shhh." A girl's breath tickles Keitaro's ear. "Don't worry! We will be done soon." The smell of burning incense strengthens as a deep solemn chanting accent the girl's voice.  
  
A sliver of panic drove into Keitaro's heart as he hears the rasp of metal. "What.what are you doing?" He struggles against the ropes that hold him to the stake. "Let me go! Let me go, now!" His hand came free with a snap, but someone quickly grasp and refasten the free hand.  
  
A grim overtone came to the girl's voice as she loops the seal laden rope around the young boy's arm. "This is for your own good. If you don't resist, it will be less painful for you."  
  
Keitaro blanch at the mentioning of pain. "No! I don't want it! Let me go! I want my mom! Mom! Mom!" Thrashing wildly he snaps the ropes holding him and drops down from the stake. With one hand he reach for the blind fold. The other hand he tries to ward off the people around him. Instantly he grabs something lacy between two round things. He pulls the blindfold partially from his eyes. Two flaming irises glares at him from just finger tip distance. "Um, hello?" His back broke out cold sweats.  
  
"You little pervert!" Screams the 14 yrs old shorthaired girl in hand, her hand rise to slap the wide-eyed boy silly. As it whistles down to deliver a stinging print a black aura wraps around Keikun's offending hand. A wave of thunder erupts from between Keikun and the kneeling priestess. "Aaaaaaaaaa!" Screaming the girl flew against a wall with her clothing burnt, but flesh intact. Barely conscious she looks down to see her decency was still preserved and faint.  
  
"S.sorry! Are you alright?" Keitaro ran up to the girl, only to suddenly feel his heart stops and the dark aura ripping it's way out of his body.  
  
^Fufufu! This is entertaining. A half done priestess standing against a fully embodied demon such as I. It's a pity, that boy locked me in his mind so that I couldn't feast upon your flesh.^ The shadow strokes its nebulous chin. ^I still don't get how he did it. I was sweeping his mind out along with all other unnecessary junks then he suddenly goes berserk, screaming about some obscure promise and shoved me.somewhere. Oh well! Now that I am free, I have no need for this pathetic host. The world shall know my evil for all eternity. Mhahahahahahaha.^ He concentrates on pulling himself from the boy's body. Little by little the shadow exit out of Keitaro's body. "Stop being so attach to me you baby! I am not that crazy Liddokun thing that you saw on TV. What? I got your promise?" The shadow's progress of escape jars to a stop. "Ouch that hurt! You little freak! Who wants your stupid promise? You want it? Fu! This is stupid! You think that's going to happen? I am a demon! You fool. I live on the suffering of others." He pauses. "Very touching, but I am not going to waste my time."  
  
"That is right. Because your time is up." Despite the pain of feeling his soul being ripped apart, Keitaro force himself to look at his savior. The girl's sword was unsheathed and a dozen other similarly armed priestesses were right behind her. The girl's clothing was torn in several places and her right arm was hastily bandaged, but despite her injuries she held her sword firm in her delicate fingers. "Shimeryu Ultimate Techique: Cutting Evil Sword!"  
  
"Ha! Such puny attack won't destroy me!" Shadow sneer as he casually blocked the attack with one paw. He inhales the tendrils of shadow from all around, which gathers around the demon and form into a massive blob. He shouts. "Now my shadow servant attack!" Everyone tense for a massive bloodshed.  
  
The blob sank to the ground and inch towards his maker. "Mmaaasster, Iii am reeaady."  
  
The demon deflates at the words. "I know you are a little slow. But attack the priestesses now!" He points at the girls at the door. "You can at least follow some orders."  
  
"Master?" The voice of the blob sharpens. "Oh-Master? Are you there?" The blob sends out a tendril to poke Keitaro in the ribs.  
  
Smack! Everyone on the scene except Keitaro and the blob meets with the floor.  
  
"Blasted Creature! I am your maker!" The demon's roar shook the room. "Now obey ME and Attack her!" He points at the leading priestess.  
  
"I don't think that is possible, sir." The blob answers back. "Since the power that creates me was clearly within here." He points at Keitaro's chest.  
  
^Argh! That's why! I haven't finish separating from that child so that fool is mistaken him to be me.^ "Curse it! I'll do this by myself!" The priestesses scatter and surround the demon. "You think this would help? Fools!" Several arms form out from his body and points at each girl. "Then again you won't have to, since you all going to die!" The dark aura flares, and then dies. "What!" He looks down fearfully.  
  
Keitaro snores lightly. All the girls' eyes turn sparkly. "Kawwaaiiiii!"  
  
"Nooooooo!" The demonic shriek brought the girls back to reality. Many arms grasp for a handhold as the demon slowly shrinks. "What's happening?"  
  
The priestesses collect their unconscious companion. "She is alive!"  
  
"Good! Now what is it doing?"  
  
"It's losing power!"  
  
"Want apple juice.thirsty.more." The boy murmurs in his sleep.  
  
Some where in hell: Satan looks into his refrigerator for. "Hey! That was the last bottle!" His lieutenant's eyes widen as he clutch a damned soul by the neck.  
  
"Sir! Who else would want to make another demon? No one knows about the potion except us!"  
  
"That is right. I also change the label.Oh." That moment whole new specie of curses came into existence. The sound of foul mouthing echoes out from the caves of hell to the gates of heaven.  
  
God frowns at the sound of his fallen son's voice. "I should really have a talk with that kid."  
  
Gasping for breath the king of hell glares at his lieutenant. "We must find the potion, now." He rips open a hole in space and pull out a mirror. "Where is the potion!"  
  
"Patience boss." The mirror answers back. The dark surface resolves into an empty bottle.  
  
"It's gone." The devil sigh. "That's."  
  
"Sir. We do have other ways of making demons." The underling backs away slowly.  
  
Devil looks up with a smile. "Yes, we do." He looks down on the cowering soul in his lieutenant's grasp. "Let's move on to better things we have here."  
  
Later after the soul was totally corrupted the devil sat contently in his throne as he watch the stream of tormented souls flowing in his realm. "Sir, May I ask why was you so angry when you found the potion stolen, but now sit here as if nothing had happened?"  
  
The Devil looks through his slit eyes. "That's my little pet project. Something that amplify demonic abilities."  
  
"Then sir I will personally recover it."  
  
But the devil's claw hand say otherwise. "Don't bother. It only works in this realm, or when a demon takes possession of a mortal form."  
  
"But."  
  
"And when it is used on a demon possessed, both the demon and host dies."  
  
"Oh I guess then it doesn't matter anymore."  
  
".After two hundred years..." Everyone in the hearing range gains a mouthful of boiling sulfur.  
  
"Sir! That's a great weapon."  
  
".But the demon can not leave the host with his powers intact."  
  
"Oh!"  
  
"Lets just drop it!"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Back to Keitaro: ^This is just like when Muchan and my face were glue together by syrup.^ Keitaro struggles to yank his memory away from the demonic spirit. He didn't realize that the demon was currently fending off an attack.  
  
"Take that!" A priestess shouts as she cut one arm from the demon.  
  
"Ahhh! Let go you stupid kid!" The demon feels his power slowly slips away. A shadow appears behind the struggling spirit. "What? How."  
  
"Begone. Shimeryu Ultimate Technique: Cutting Evil Sword." She slashes down between the boy and the demon. Keitaro came awake to see the girl's sword down against his body and pain, lots of it.  
  
"Aaaaaaa!" The demon howls in synch with Keitaro. A blistering wind came out of nowhere and blew the remaining shadows away. "I'll be back! For you, and your little birdie too!" Keitaro suddenly jumps up and ran out.  
  
"Wait!" The girls shout after him, but he was gone.  
  
Keitaro wakes up with a gasp. "I remember.now what?"  
  
The morning lark woke Keitaro with its simple little song. "Oh Buddha I am late!" A streak came out of the shrine and smash against a stone pillar. "Ouch! That hurts." Doing the cowboy walk Keitaro manage to give his sore portions some slack. Already in a horse stance he prepares for his morning warm up.  
  
A paper package came smack against the side of his head and bounce across the ground. Nursing his newest bruise Keitaro picks up the package. On it there was a note from Master Han that said; "This is the list of techniques you must master by tomorrow. Don't screw up! :p"  
  
"Um? Okay!" He opens the package and takes out a piece of paper. Reading it carefully once he laughed. "Heck! This is easy stuff." He reaches up to scratch his head. The package drops and its content spills out. "Oh no!" Frantically the boy attempts to reorganize the large pile of cards. "I am doomed." He looks at the mess in his hands.  
  
The sun was up by next morning. Keitaro's sweat drips down, across open scraps and dark bruises to feed the dark stain on his clothing. He strikes the sand bag in rapid successions. The huge door stood behind him was brooding in the simmering heat.  
  
When he finished Master Han's voice came through the door. "What in the world were you doing last night?" Master Han demanded. "That wasn't how the technique is performed! Weren't you reading the cards that I had gave you? It was clear that the order of the strikes should be coming low then high, then reverse, but what you got a smattering of uncoordinated attack that would be useless in any situation! Were you sleeping in?"  
  
"I."  
  
Master Han sighed. "Don't say it Keitaro! I don't want to hear your excuses. Just practice on your own. I'll test you tomorrow."  
  
The next day, Keitaro's knees lands on the ground with a resounding Thud. "I am so sorry Master."  
  
Master Han was silent behind the Iron Gate. "Try again tomorrow." He finally said.  
  
The next morning Keitaro picked himself off the grass mat. He had memorized the contents of the cards. "I hope this works." The staggering teen puts on his blood stained shirt. He briefly grimace when the rough cloth brush against the wounds on his body. "Just hang on." He walked out.  
  
"Just hang on." He gasp as he renew his attack on the sand bag. Dust came off the bag as the boy's punch drill into the fabric.  
  
Master Han held his usual silence as the boy pushes his endurance to the limit. Gradually the boy's strength gave out. "You add some creative twist to the techniques that I gave you. But it wasn't enough just to be smart; you have to persist practicing the way I gave you on the cards. So far you have relied on your durability to fill up for your lack of proper training. That can only go so far." He sighs. "I'll be back in a month. On the day I come back I will decide if you can still be my student. Good luck., Keitaro."  
  
"Master! Wait!"  
  
Only silence remains.  
  
"What do I do now." A zombie like Keitaro walks the courtyard. "It will kill me if I continue to study from this mess up pile of cards. Master Han isn't going to take any excuses. Walking around aimlessly Keitaro finally trips on a broken stone, his face flattens on the ground "Whoever is up there. I need a hand." Keitaro said to the ground. The moon came out and sent a shaft of light down on the boy. He looks up, the shrine appeared ethereal, and years of damage soften by the glow of the night. "Must be a sign from Buddha." Crawling on his belly the tenderized teen went up the steps and into the foreboding darkness within.  
  
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light Keitaro saw the Buddha in a new light. It seems to smile benevolently down on him. Tears began to well up his eyes as he struggles to get closer. Finally he was on the prayer pad looking up to the out worldly glow of the Buddha. Flopping on the floor Keitaro fought the pain to rise to his knees. "Oh great Buddha!" He choked out the few words before he started hammering his head against the ground. "Help me please! I am the most unfortunate of the universe. I was a demon possess, then he was gone without a departing verse. I was force to leave home at the age of 5, and had to travel to a different country to save my life. There I meet people who bully me because I was alone and have no money. The person who is after me chases me until I was at the Shaolin Temple, where I finally have peace although its kind of funny. But now because of my clumsiness Master Han is going to abandon me. I am so scared cause the only friend I have is leaving me." Finishing his speech, Keitaro took a deep breath. "Umm, so can you help me?"  
  
A sinking feeling suddenly came over Keitaro. Then the ground gave away from under him. "Aaaahhhh!" ^Rejected!^ About five minutes pass by as the boy travels down a long tub. Pop! Keitaro came out of the other end. Rolling on agony Keitaro thought. ^Am I in hell?^ Opening his eyes he saw that a dark chamber was before him with breezes coming out with the smell of old paper. ^What is going on?^ 


	5. Uneasy Refuge

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina  
  
Keitaro shot up out of his bed. "Noooo!" Sharp gasping breaths rush into his lungs as his heart race to recover form the nightmare. "I.I can't remember." He sighs. The sun peeks over the horizon as the teen folds his sparse bedding and walked out to the courtyard. Around him rose the ancient towers of Shaolin Monastery in its grandiose glory, but he paid no attention to this tranquil beauty of morning as his mind struggles to remember the past, to remember. "Promise."  
  
Clutching his hair he walked aimlessly across the courtyard. "Why! Why can't I remember something that important? Every time I get this dream I forget what it was. It's hopeless." He looks up to the faint veil of clouds going back to the past, to the shadows that hunts him.  
  
"Watch out you idiot!" A heel smash it's way across Keitaro's face.  
  
Reeling the teen turns to receive an elbow to his stomach that throws him into the air. "Urgh!" Looking down Keitaro realize that the ground is quickly rushing toward him, and it is fill with monks, meditating after their practice. "Oh man! I guess I should warn them. Watch out below!" A cloud of dust erupts as the human projectile lands in the field flying monks were seen as the shockwave clears the field.  
  
The head apprentice's footsteps shook the wooden columns as he steps into Grand Master Han's Sanctuary. As he approaches the main chamber his steps lightens slightly. "Mu Wei, what did Keitaro did this time?" A deep weary voice shook the air around the chamber. Falling to his knees the apprentice bows to a modestly robed monk currently contemplating an empty wall. "We both know that he is.a little clumsy."  
  
"A little master? Why are you so tolerant toward that that walking catastrophe? He.he ." Gasping in shock the monk lost control of his breathing and his eyes went into swirls. As soon as the apprentice began to fall the Grand Master was in motion. One hand he push off the mat he sat upon and with the other he sweeps his apprentice up before he could add another bruise to his already battered body. "Keitaro," sigh the old man as he carried the student out to the healer.  
  
Later the monks cautiously gather in the main courtyard, only after Keitaro is firmly immobilized by a few tons of iron-chains and industrial rebar concrete blocks. The Shaolin Temple is known to possess vast stores of martial artist skills, but there is yet to be found one that could protect them from Keitaro's blunderings. As firm believers in release from the cycle of reincarnation, the monks knows that to suffer once from a Keitaro related incident is enough for a life time.  
  
"First he walked into the sparing match between Master Quan, who shouted a warning to him, and Master Jin as if he lost his souls to the devils and blocked Master Quan's Demon Sweeper with his face, then he got in the way of Master Jin's elbow strike to the belly, that launches him into the air." Fully revived by the healer the head apprentice made his healthy lungs well known to all, especially now making his case against Keitaro. "After that he lands himself in the apprentice's practice field, injuring fifteen brothers with his uncoordinated descend. The result, you now see before you, Master." The bandaged man points behind him.  
  
"Yea! And he didn't even apologize!" Shout one monk who now is having his right hand molded into a cast. A stick slaps him from behind.  
  
"You were unconscious Guan Wei! How could you know what you just claimed?" A voice answers from further back.  
  
Foaming at the mouth the monk throws himself at his attacker. "Guan Min. Why are you defending him? He broke your leg!" Wei grasps and yanks his adversary to himself.  
  
"Not everyone here is blinded by the thoughts of revenge. I for once understand that Keitaro didn't mean to cause harm to us. He just couldn't help it been clumsy, absent minded, an unlucky." A half-ton block of stone fell from the sky and flattens Keitaro to the ground. "We all know that he wanders around the temples, contemplating, and helping out. He is probably the nicest guy you could meet anywhere. He always tries to do his best."  
  
"And he always screw up!" Scream Guan Wei as he shook Guan Min violently. "First he threw shit all over me! Then there was the fall statue of Buddha! Right after, he knocks down a tower, a tower on my head. He mistakes alcohol with water, which almost cause the temple to be burnt down when we try to put out the candles. How much more can we take?"  
  
Guan Wei gagged and plies desperately to get his throat free from the perfected dragon claw. "He. Did. Put. out. the. fire. by. himself."  
  
"By knocking over the water tower, and washed everyone out of their beds!"  
  
A soothing voice interrupts the argument. "It seems Keitaro is a boy driven by misfortune. Shouldn't you be more tolerant to his accidents, or simply understand the pain that he is going through? After all it was unintentional." The grip loosen allows Min to take a life giving breath before he passed out.  
  
"Maybe we should teach him some ways to avoid disaster. To tame the wolf is to raise a dog." One master suggested.  
  
Keitaro went all weepy eyed at the words. "I am not a doggy."  
  
"He freaking tornado! You can't deal with natural disasters!" Shouted the master beside him.  
  
"I may have an idea." The speaker tries to hide as the look of shock, amazement, fear, and curiosity fell upon him. Taking a deep breath the boy rose from the back so his trembling voice could be heard. "Keitaro could learn how to balance himself so that he won't trip and land on someone."  
  
"He could learn how to turn corners without bowling someone over." Flash: Keitaro runs, turns the corner and crash into a group of monks. All were knocked out by the impact.  
  
"Yea! And he could learn how to not dump stuff on someone while someone is working."  
  
Flash: Keitaro is carrying the liquid fertilizer for the farm when a few brightly colored birds went by. He turns his head to follow them with his eyes, and the fertilizer follows his shift to drench a monk working in the field. Dumping heated oil on a fellow cook. Dropping rocks trainee's foot.  
  
"And he could certainly learn how to distinguish between flammable and volatile objects so he won't blow someone to hell." Flash: Keitaro was alone handling the supplies in the storage chamber when a monk ran in and shouted for some herbs. Keitaro accidentally replaced the packet of medicine with back powder for matches. There was a flaming monk light show shortly afterwards.  
  
"And he could learn not cut the cold water pipe by accident when someone is taking a bath." A nude monk ran out of the showers screaming in pain as Keitaro tries to fix the pips.  
  
"And he could learn how to shout louder the next time he goes flying toward someone so someone won't have to be his cushion." Everyone nodded.  
  
"And he could learn how to fall without injuries so someone won't have to bandage him up."  
  
"And he could learn how to not knock someone out accidentally so that someone don't need bandaging up!" Many murmur their agreement to that suggestion.  
  
"And most of all he could learn to look at where he is going so he won't barge into situations that could prove dangerous to someone." A dry voice rang from the masters' rank. All high rank members agree to that.  
  
"So, Brother Keitaro will be allowed to learn our martial arts?" The young boy asked. A cold wind blew through the courtyard. Silence was deafening.  
  
"No." All apprentices except him spoke in unisons.  
  
"WHY! We will be a lot safer after he learns."  
  
"We won't live to see the day that happens you idiot!" The boy is blew out of the temple by the combine might of Shaolin Lion Roar Technique.  
  
"The boy is right." The Grand Master said wistfully.  
  
"Master!" Every one looks at him with big sad puppy eyes. "Please don't teach him amongst us!"  
  
"But all of you are right too." The whole temple sighed in relieve. "So I will teach Keitaro myself." A humongous cloud of despair appears over the Shaolin temple.  
  
Somewhere far, far away, a boy named Ryoga sneezed. "It must be a virus."  
  
A mass of monk in various colors of dress slowly crawls after Grand Master Han. "Please master! Don't do it!"  
  
"Yea, Master! Even though he is a nice guy. I don't think I'll survive the pain till he learns control!"  
  
"None of us will live pass teaching Keitaro. We're doomed! Doomed I say!"  
  
Keitaro looks down to the cold hard slabs of stone. "I am useless. No one wants me. If even when I help I fail, then what is my purpose in life?" A gentle hand draws his face up. Grand Master Han smile as he untied Keitaro. "Life is not without its disappointments, some have more, and some have less. To seek release from something like failure or fear doesn't always meant you should run, but to understand it is only parts of yourself that requires change. Change come regardless of ourselves realizing, illusions of permanence blinds the mind from perceiving it, but through effort and clarity you can cut the bonds of mortality to reach true enlightenment. From now on you are my student, and I will try my best to help you overcome your troubles."  
  
Keitaro falls to his knees before his master. "Master Han, I understand your immense promise of enlightenment, however there is but one thing I must do in life." Looking up to the serene gaze of the Buddha's high priest, Keitaro felt as if his soul wishes to burst out in tears. "I want to remember a promise and fulfilling it in this life."  
  
Master Han looks at his newest student with insufferable pity. "How great the tentacles of mortal desires be, to snare your young soul with promises you can't even see?" He grins widely at the surprise on Keitaro's face. "Oh well, you got years ahead of you to realize the truth. I am sure you will find enlightenment, just after stumbling around a few times. After all, you do the impossible as many times as you walk a step."  
  
Keitaro rubs his head as he gets up from his massive face faulting. "You are absolutely right Master."  
  
"Oh and one more thing."  
  
"Yes Master?"  
  
"We need go now before you do more damage to the temple." The man hands Keitaro his pack while slinging his own over his shoulder.  
  
Keitaro looks down at the imprint of his face on the courtyard and sweat dropped. "Okay. I could understand that."  
  
Looking back on his sanctuary the thirteen-year-old boy felt regret flowing through his soul, endless as the sea. He turns and crashes into a monk carrying a massive iron barrel, which stumbles against his fellow and created a chain of human domino. "Lets go Keitaro!" Keitaro hurry to follow his new master. 


End file.
